THE GOOD PLACE
Open House
The Canadian Native Friendship Centre offers community support to people from all backgrounds.
By Lailani Mendoza-Lai
(From top) Teepees erected for an event in September 2024; Deborah Andrews; youth on a CNFC trip to Métis Crossing. | PHOTOS: COURTESY OF CNFC
THE CANADIAN NATIVE FRIENDSHIP CENTRE (CNFC) in Edmonton has an explicit mission to promote and support Indigenous people. But, as executive director Deborah Andrews says, they also want the community to know that everyone is welcome at their “house.”
Established in 1962, CNFC offers cultural, social and recreational programs that focus on and promote Indigenous culture, such as Cree language classes — a joint project between CNFC and the Edmonton Public Library — as well as a weekly drumming circle and Métis jigging. Cree language teacher Leslie Skinner, who attended the classes years ago as a teen, says it’s very rewarding to “[see] community come together, students [make] connections and [build] confidence in themselves as Natives.”
“We provide services not just to Indigenous people, but to all people who come to our ‘house.’”
There are also programs geared to the broader community, including a tutoring program for students in grades 7-12, and Girls at Bat, a beginner baseball program for girls, sponsored by the Toronto Blue Jays’ foundation. For newcomers and those faced with food insecurity, the centre’s food hampers are restocked frequently with fresh foods to keep up with demand and supplement food bank donations. “There are so many new immigrants and new refugees who have come in the past few years — and they definitely need a lot of help,” Andrews says. Partnerships with Amazon and the Edmonton International Airport allow CNFC to repurpose unused items headed for the landfill, including toiletries and other non-perishable items, supplementing the food hampers and care packages. “We provide services not just to Indigenous people, but to all people who come to our ‘house.’ We need that in the community,” Andrews says.
Andrews started working with CNFC in 2018, using her background in addictions to support people in their journey to sobriety. In 2022, she was hired as the executive director and now leads the centre’s small but mighty team of seven staff members, motivated by her love of helping people. “I work with the best people,” she says. “And we serve over 10,000 people every year.” AMA
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(From left) Teepees erected for an event in September 2024; Deborah Andrews; youth on a CNFC trip to Métis Crossing. | PHOTOS: COURTESY OF CNFC
THE CANADIAN NATIVE FRIENDSHIP CENTRE (CNFC) in Edmonton has an explicit mission to promote and support Indigenous people. But, as executive director Deborah Andrews says, they also want the community to know that everyone is welcome at their “house.”
Established in 1962, CNFC offers cultural, social and recreational programs that focus on and promote Indigenous culture, such as Cree language classes — a joint project between CNFC and the Edmonton Public Library — as well as a weekly drumming circle and Métis jigging. Cree language teacher Leslie Skinner, who attended the classes years ago as a teen, says it’s very rewarding to “[see] community come together, students [make] connections and [build] confidence in themselves as Natives.”
“We provide services not just to Indigenous people, but to all people who come to our ‘house.’”
There are also programs geared to the broader community, including a tutoring program for students in grades 7-12, and Girls at Bat, a beginner baseball program for girls, sponsored by the Toronto Blue Jays’ foundation. For newcomers and those faced with food insecurity, the centre’s food hampers are restocked frequently with fresh foods to keep up with demand and supplement food bank donations. “There are so many new immigrants and new refugees who have come in the past few years — and they definitely need a lot of help,” Andrews says. Partnerships with Amazon and the Edmonton International Airport allow CNFC to repurpose unused items headed for the landfill, including toiletries and other non-perishable items, supplementing the food hampers and care packages. “We provide services not just to Indigenous people, but to all people who come to our ‘house.’ We need that in the community,” Andrews says.
Andrews started working with CNFC in 2018, using her background in addictions to support people in their journey to sobriety. In 2022, she was hired as the executive director and now leads the centre’s small but mighty team of seven staff members, motivated by her love of helping people. “I work with the best people,” she says. “And we serve over 10,000 people every year.” AMA